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Thursday, December 17, 2015

The Valparaiso Redevelopment Commission and partner Chester Inc. are replatting land near the Porter County Regional Airport into three parcels instead of 14 for a potential buyer.The city plans to sell part of almost 40 acres of business park property it owns on the west border of the Porter County Regional Airport, but not as the smaller lots it expected.The Valparaiso Redevelopment Commission and partner Chester Inc. are replatting the land into three parcels instead of 14 for a potential buyer.City Economic Development Director Patrick Lyp said the potential purchaser for the 12.25-acre plot of land on the northern part of the property can't be named until the deal is complete, which he said would be in January at the earliest.The city's land is at the end of Bowman Drive east of Eastporte Center and was bought in 2012 from the Sylvester family. Originally, the Redevelopment Commission intended to divide it into lots of about two or three acres each, plus a lot for a detention pond.However, building a road into the area turned out to be more costly than expected, Lyp said at the Dec. 10 Valparaiso Redevelopment Commission meeting.Bids came in at $1.5 million instead of the estimated $1 million, he said.The Redevelopment Commission members gave approval to start development of the land for sale if the sale goes through.Also at the meeting, the members acknowledged but did not officially approve the 2016 budget, waiting until the Jan. 14 or meeting when the commission will include some new members.The commission also approved funding consultants for two projects to start in spring.For the Vale Park pathway extension that will connect the west side of the city to Valparaiso High School and the trail system, the board agreed to hire The Troyer Group for construction inspection services.Of Troyer's $105,187 cost, the city will pay $21,038 and a federal grant will pay the remaining 80 percent.That work will begin in April, and the trail follow along the NIPSCO line easement in a diagonal line to the southwest from the school.The commission also approved paying DLZ Engineering $62,370 of the $311,750 it will cost to have that firm handle daily construction management on the improvements on Burlington Beach Road at Calumet Avenue and Indiana 49.INDOT, which is administrating the federal grant that will pay 80 percent of the $2.47 million project, will take construction bids for the work in March.Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com